Of Blood and Blondes
by Jeshickah Knight
Summary: When Jeshickah got the chance for a mission at a magic school she accepted immediatly. Under an assumed name, Alainna Rai, she starts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But Ali's not Jess... Alt ending now up! More chapters, anyone?
1. Hunters and Hunted

_**Of Blood& Blondes**_

_By: Jeshickah Night_

_I'm Jeshickah Night; this is the story of the only mission I ever failed at. The setting is at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry (which I assume you've all heard of) in Harry Potter's sixth year (and again I assume you know who I'm talking about). It was the only year I ever been in any school of magic, and the first time I used the name 'Alainna Rai' as my alibi. I'm a vampire hunter; I have been since I was ten. I know that seems too young to be doing work like that but when it comes to creatures of the night, it's never too young to learn how to defend yourself. Anyway, Mrs. Rowling did record what Harry and the rest of the school remembers from the year, but not quite everything that truly happened, that's why I choose to write this, to inform the fans of her work of another side of the story. I know most of you will just pass this by thinking it of being just another fanfic some avid fan wrote, just as you regard Mrs. Rowling's works as fiction, but you're wrong. The realm of Hogwarts is real, and this is a very true story. So disregard this if you wish, but if you are willing to believe it, then all the better for you, for you are one of the smarter people, the people who truly believe in magic. So let the tale begin!_

_I hope someone comes by soon. _A slim blonde thought to herself as she paced back and forth in front of a portrait of a woman in an elegant dress.

"Forget the password?" a voice asked, the blonde searched around for the source but eventually gave up.

Hearing footsteps and soft voices not far off, she looked up to see a bushy brown haired girl talking to two boys, one with flaming red hair, who was taller than the other, and the other with glasses over brilliant green eyes and jet black hair.

"Excuse me," the blonde waved over to them, "you see, I just transferred here and I think I'm lost."

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" the girl smiled warmly stepping up to greet here. "I'm Hermione Granger, where are you trying to go?"

"Thanks, I'm Alainna Rai," the blonde said, nervously tucking her long bangs behind her ears, which came short and fell back across her temples. "The headmaster told me the Gryffindor Tower was up this way but I can't seem to find.

"Dilligrout!" the black haired boy said confidently to the woman in the portrait, which swung forward immediately, revealing the passage to the Gryffindor Tower. "Things are a bit tricky here." He grinned, "I'm Harry, by the way."

Alainna smiled back, noticing a lightning scar on his forehead, almost hidden from view.

"You'll probably forget but, I'm Ron." The redhead said, looking slightly disappointed.

"Will you be going in or not?" the unknown voice asked, Alainna jumped to see that it was the portrait speaking.

"You'll get use to it eventually," Hermione said, as they walked into the room filled with overstuffed chairs around a fireplace and tables on another side. Other students looked up just long enough to notice the new girl and smile before returning to their work. Nervously, Alainna tucked her bangs back again and playing with the second earring in her right ear and moving up to play with the one in her cartilage.

"The girls' dormitories are up there," Hermione pointed to a flight of stairs, "boys' are over there" she pointed to the other flight of stairs.

"Thanks for all your help." Alainna smiled, still nervous. "I think I'm just going to go to bed, she added and headed for the stairs. Feeling a little self-conscious she pulled her scarf a little tighter around her throat, being sure to cover her entire neck.

She found a four-poster bed that her new trunk had been set in front off and hopped up onto it. She pulled off her western-styled boots, and stretched out on her stomach reaching over the edge, reaching into the trunk. On top of her new, neatly folded clothes and new stacked books, a brand new purple muggle notebook sat with two fresh packs of pencils; one drawing and the other mechanical.

Alainna grabbed the notebook and opened the pack or mechanical pencils, selecting one before returning the rest f the pack in the trunk again and flipping the lid closed again. She pulled the elastic from her hair and letting the sheet of honey blonde hair fall over her shoulders. She opened the notebook, sweeping a hand over it affectionately, clicking the lead forward in the pencil and started writing.

"I wonder when that new girl came in." Harry thought out loud while pausing his potions essay, thinking to himself.

"She probable came in during dinner, I haven't seen her before, but her name sounds familiar." Hermione replied glancing up from her work.

"Well, she's new, how else could she not know the way into the tower." Ron said, "I wanna know how she got here, why would Dumbledore be allowing new students in now?"

"There must be a good reason," Harry reasoned, "maybe Voldemort's after her or something."

"Maybe,"

"What is this thing we're going to again?" Alainna asked, following Hermione out to a structure that looked a lot like a stadium of some sort.

"Quidditch," she replied slightly upset, "I just know you'll love it."

"Why aren't Harry and Ron going to watch it with us?" the blonde asked, fiddling with her new red-and-gold scarf she had found next to the black robes and uniform. Disregarding most of the uniform, she put on the robe over her blood red tank-top and rather tight jeans, that showed off her well toned legs, and tied the beautiful scarf in place.

"They're playing," Hermione replied, finding seats in the stadium behind the tallest of three golden hoops on one side of the stadium (which she found out was called a pitch), which sat opposite a sea of green, silver, and black. "Harry's captain and Seeker, and Ron is the team Keeper. I would explain it to you, but I just know I'd mix things up. So just enjoy!"

Alainna shrugged and watched the game. She notice Ron in glorious scarlet robes guarding the gold hoops from a red ball that three players in green were trying to throw it into. The same thing seemed to be happening on the other side with three scarlet players and one green, something like an odd game of muggle soccer. Two other players in each color flew around, swinging bats at violent black balls trying to knock players from the opposite team off their brooms. She assumed that the scarlet dot high above the 'pitch' was Harry, and the green dot was doing the same as him.

Suddenly, Harry zoomed off after the smallest glint of gold, followed by the boy in green. Harry caught it first, and the game had ended, the scarlet team had won, and Alainna just looked merely confused.

"I still don't understand it," she said as she and Hermione made their way to a changing room where Ron and Harry were.

"If you ask nice, maybe one of the boys will explain it to you." Hermione replied.

"So there's a _Quaffle, _and it's worth ten points if it goes through a hoop, and a _Snitch, _that's worth a hundred and fifty when it's caught, and that ends the game?" Alainna asked, Harry nodded. "So the only point of the other balls, _Bludgers_, are to knock people off course and off their brooms?"

"That's right," Harry smiled at her, and out of habit and self-consciousness, she tucked her hair back behind her ears and fiddled with her scarf.

"Wow, if I hadn't seen it today, then I would never had even begun to understand this." She attempted to laugh. "Thanks a lot, Harry," she stood up, "I'm beat, I'll see you tomorrow." And she leaned over the distance between them, and just as she had done with all of her guy friends from her old school, kissed him on the cheek. Pulling away quickly, she blushed, muttering a hasty good night before sprinting off to the girls' dormitories.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked.

"What d'ya mean?" Harry replied, trying hard not to blush.

"What was that little kiss about?" she asked again, giggling slightly.

"I donno, but she seems rather embarrassed about it or something." He shrugged.

"I think she liked you," a red-haired girl commented as she walked by.

"Seems liked it, doesn't it, Ginny?" Hermione teased.

"What makes you say that?" Harry asked, trying to hid his growing anticipation and embarrassment.

"Why? Do you like her?" Ginny teased.

"I'm going to go see!" Hermione dashed off in the path Alainna had taken.

_"Lnyn,_

_Tihs shocol ins't sa garet sa I thguoht ti wluod eb. I wluod mcuh rehtar eb bcak wtih yuo gyus tub I konw I hvae a miossin. Os I wlil ese yuo wehn I fisnih._

_Lvoe ay!_

_Aaninla_

_Eb srue ot tlel eyvernoe I lvoe 'me adn I'l eb hmoe sono"_

Alainna finished her letter, hoping no one would be able to decode the letter to her friend.

Hermione came in, and glanced down at the paper. Seeing the odd words, just barely out of understanding it. She wondered what it all meant, instead of asking she smiled brightly, "Hi!"

"Oh, hi," Alainna smiled back, shaking the hair from her eyes as she looked up.

"You left so, you didn't have much time to talk to anyone." Hermione said thoughtfully making up a lie, sitting on the edge of Alainna's bed.

"I thought no one would notice me, and I was tired." Alainna replied, stifling a fake yawn.

"Harry's wondering where you went." Hermione lied again, smiling. "You know I think he kinda likes you

"Oh, I'm sure!" Alainna shrugged it off, sarcastically.

"Really!" Hermione insisted, thinking it only to be half a lie. "Do you like him? I promise not to tell."

"Well, maybe a little, but I don't really know him that well, it's only been a few days." Alainna fiddled with the tails form a tight French braid, embarrassed.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Hermione changes the topic, she knew the answer to her question. "How do you get your hair like that?" she indicated the perfectly tight braids, only a few stands had begun to fall across her face. "I know how to braid it like that but how do you get it to turn out so good?"

"Oh, it's really easy when you get the trick!" Alainna grinned brightly. "My mom taught me how to do it."

"Could you show me?" Hermione asked.

"Sure, okay, er," Alainna glanced around the room, spotting a black and white cat playing with a bit of fluff. Very softly, she whispered, "Moshi, come here baby," the cat stopped playing when he heard the sound, and trotted over happily, leaping lightly onto the bed with the girls. Alainna took out her wand and swept it over the cats spine a few times, after her had settled down on her lap purring. The fur along his back grew to a foot or two in length. "This is Moshi, he's my kitty-cat," she said playfully to the cat, "he's use to my magic so we can use him for practice."

Alainna looked over her schedule of classes she had received. Hermione had volunteered to show her to most of her classes because, they had discovered, they had many of the same.

During her first free time, they made their way up to the Tower. Alainna had found most of her classes educational, but nothing more. However, one class stood out, Ancient Ruins, ad she had quickly adopted it as her new favorite subject.

Upon reaching the Common Room, she had expected to be able to rest a bit, but Hermione instead led her away for more work before lunch.

Ron and Harry were waiting for them at one of the long tables for the Gryffindors. Hermione sat next to Harry leaving Alainna settling into the chair on her other side. She tried as hard as she could not to meet Harry's eye, as she had not overcome her embarrassment from the night before. And being a prisoner to her embarrassment wasn't typical trait of her, but she allowed it to show through while she was trying to work out a plan of action.

"Alainna," Harry's voice cut through her planning. "How do you like your classes so far?"

"I think I'm going to drop a few," she shrugged, blushing. "I guess I'm just not ready for all of this just yet. Besides, some of these things aren't quite as easy as others, and some I just don't like."

"You were really great in Ancient Ruins," Hermione smiled at her, "I sure hope you keep it."

Alainna's blush deepened, overtaken by embarrassment again she didn't reply immediately. "Well," she said after a time, "so far it's my favorite, I know its going to stay."

Hermione caught Alainna often times writing in the same odd code. Other times, the new girl would be writing spells or incantations, which she would try to hide from view. During most free times and other odd moments in the day, she would seem to disappear. Harry would consult the Marauder's Map during these times and find her to be in the abandoned Astronomy Tower.

It was a clear Saturday afternoon and Alainna had disappeared to the Astronomy Tower once again, which Harry had found from consulting his Map.

"I'm going up to the Astronomy Tower," he told Hermione, since Ron was once again off with his new girlfriend, Lavender. "See ya later."

"You're going off to see that Alainna girl again aren't you?" she inquired.

"Yeah, maybe, why?" he asked calmly, as he pack his books, parchment and things back into his bag.

Hermione gave a small shudder, "something isn't right with that girl," she said quietly, "she sneaks down here at night, when all the other girls are asleep, and it's abandoned. I followed her once, and she was down her doing sit-ups and push-ups. It was a bit creepy."

"Well that's not anything too odd, she must be a bit concerned about her health or something." Harry shrugged, shouldering his bag and heading out to the Tower. He checked the Map just to make sure she was still there.

Retching the top of the stairs he paused a moment and listened. Inside the room came the sounds of soft _thud! thud! _against something, followed by someone seeming to be either encouraging another or themselves. He assumed it was either some kind of dart game or someone punching or kicking someone else or some thing.

He waited a moment longer for the thuds to subside before entering.

In the door, he found a very sweaty and breathless Alainna alone in the tower, wearing an army-styled top and gray sweat pants. Her brilliant honey blonde hair had been gathered into a high ponytail although a few flyaway strands had worked free and were clinging to her face and neck. Her breaths were quick and hard, as she set her water bottle down on the window ledge she had been standing next to, and picking up her wand.

"Hiya Harry!" she said brightly, flicking her wand at something over his shoulder, causing a plain black punching dummy to dissolve. She tucked her hair behind her ears and took another drink of her water. "What's up?"

"Nothing really, just wondering where you disappeared to." He replied, trying to sound causal, knowing it to be a rather lame excuse even if it was the truth.

"Well, you found me!" she smiled, looking neither annoyed nor exhausted. "I just came up to work out a bit."

"Do you do a lot of working out?" Harry asked.

"I try to do it as much as I can, but it's hard with all the homework and classes and stuff going on." She shrugged. She had gotten over her embarrassment since she spent so much time with him in class and in the Common Room.

"Are you training for something?"

"Not really, I just like to stay in shape. My parents would kill me if I started slacking off for some reason or another." she laughed.

Just then a black owl flew through the window and resting lightly on Alainna's wrist. The owl held out its leg so the girl could take the letter, before taking off again. She carefully unfolded the note and skimmed it quickly.

"_Ail,_

_dno't lsoe yro'ue fcous wno! Ew aer os colse ot het edn fo hist fi ouy mses pu wno ouy cluod riun ervetyhnig! Aynyaws godo lcuk dna ew msis ouy._

_Lvoe ay!_

_Lnyn"_

Alainna smiled, and Harry tried to catch a glimpse of the odd letter. She just showed him the letter, showing him she had no secrets in it by making up a false explanation. "It's a letter from my best friend, Lynn. She's staying with my family and I told her to write me all the time, let me know what's going on. She says my little brother's been missing me."

"How old is your brother?" he asked if she was willing to share her background her was open to listening.

"My younger brother, James, is turning seven in January," she blinked noticing Harry had slightly reacted to the name. "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing," he shrugged, he tried to brush it off.

"If I'm telling about my family why don't we turn this into a sharing time?" she chuckled, moving her water bottle so she could sit on the ledge under the window.

"Only if you go first." Harry said, he would rather not have to share the loss of two parents and a godfather with a girl he barely knew.

"Okay, sure," she took another drink from her water bottle before tapping it and making it dissolve as well, patting the spot next to her for Harry to sit down. After he had settled down next to her, she turned to face him, bringing up one leg and wrapped her arms around it as she leaned back slightly.

She sighed quietly before telling Harry about her younger brother and older sister, Brooke, who would be turning nineteen in July. She grinned a little as she moved on to her mother, father, stepfather, and stepbrother, Jonathan, twenty-three. She even added a little about her friend Lynn, who was staying with her mother, stepfather, stepbrother and brother. She purposely left out her father's soon-to-be wife and her daughter, still hoping her father would come to his senses and leave her.

"So, now, do I get to hear about your family?" she asked, grabbing her sweatshirt off the floor, putting it on but leaving it unzipped because it was far too large for her.

"I don't really have much of a family." He said, "the truth is, Alainna-"

"Ali, Alainna's too long." She smiled, having never liked being called by her real name.

"Ali," he corrected himself, "my parents died when I was really young and I never really knew them, and I hadn't met my godfather until I was thirteen, and he died to last year." He recalled the incident at the ministry last year, his hatred for Balletrix Langstrange redoubled inside him. "I've lived with my uncle, aunt, and cousin since my parents were killed. At least till September rolls around each year and I come here. I love this place, and I think of it as my home, a lot."

"I would expect most people in your situation would feel the same." Ali sighed. "I'm kind of falling into that category as well. I've been getting more attention here than I ever do at home."

"Really? I would think that you would like living with your family," Harry said, slightly bemused.

"Nope," she sighed again, "When my mom and dad split, I was 6 years old and my mom decided to take me globe-trotting with her. We lived in Africa, Brazil, China, Australia, India, and France. France was the place we stayed for the longest time, a year and a half."

"So, do you speak French then?" he asked.

"Oui, j'ai parle francise tres bein. J'et adore francise, il est tres belle." She grinned, speaking with a perfect accent he had only heard by Fluer and the other ladies from Beauxbatons. "Tu n'est parle pas francise?"

"No," he shook his head, smiling as well.

"Yeah, well, that's were my mom met my step father, Eric, and his seventeen-year-old son, Jonathan. They fell in love and we moved to the U.S. for a while. I was born in a little town outside Nashville, Tennessee, so in a way it was kinda like going home for me. But it never felt the same with out dad. It still doesn't and I don't think it ever will, even though I went back to being a middle child again."

"So," Harry picked up that she had supposedly been the oldest during her traveling. "What about your sister, Brooke, didn't she come with you?"

"Oh, no, my dad insisted that if my mom took me and my little brother, he should at least get his first born, so he took her." Ali said solemnly. "I really missed having an older sister those four years."

"I see," he nodded, noting that Ali had a thick ribbon tied around her neck, but the pearly ends of slashes of scars, as if she had been attacked when she was younger, and they looked as though they could have been near fatal. He would have asked, but thought it wasn't the right time to. "So, you have a really big family then?"

"I guess you could say that." she replied, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers. "Two brothers, two sisters-"

"I thought you said you only had one sister, Brooke, who's the other?"

"My dad's thinking about getting remarried." She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Rachael isn't right for him, but he can't see that. So I'll probably end up having a new stepmother and stepsister in a few weeks."

Sure enought, aweek later, Ali came down to the common room in a dark mood. She slumped into a chair, crossing her arms across her chest, glaring into the fire's depths, muttering angrily to herself.

"What's her problem?" Hermione asked, spotting the blonde's bad mood.

"I have an idea," Harry said, standing up. "And if I'm right, she's not gonna be in a good mood for a while." He walked over, dropping into a near by seat.

"Well, he did it!" Ali burst out, jumping up, starting to pace a bit before the fire. "He just went out and married that bitch! Now I'm stuck with the worse stepmother and her evil little offspring."

"He actually married Rachael then?" he sympathized with her.

"Yep!" Ali glared at the ground, muttering a curse in French to the floor. "He married her, and didn't even care that I wasn't there! Didn't care that I was off at school working my _ass _off! He just gets married, and sends me _this_!" she thrust a rather crumpled piece of paper at him.

_"Dear Ali,_

_Hey, honey, how's school going? Are you having a good time?_

_Rachael sends her best wishes, so does Rhianna. They both have moved in to my house now, because Rachael and me have gotten married. _

_I know you would have liked to have been here for the wedding but Rachael insisted we get it done as soon as possible. Brooke took lots of pictures for you, because she thought you would have at least liked to have seen what it was like. We know how much you like weddings._

_Well, I must go, I hope you are having fun at your new school!_

_Love you!_

_Daddy_"

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Harry suggested when he finished reading the letter. "We can talk if you want to, or not. Just know I'm here for you, for anything."

The following day, Alainna received another letter, this time from her new stepmother.

"_Alainna _

_I'm terribly sorry your father didn't let you know we were getting married earlier. We had been talking about it for ages, but never gave it any serious consideration._

_However, your sister has come up with a brilliant plan. Rhianna, of course, jumped on the idea of a party to celebrate when it was brought up. Everything is being all planned out, and Rhianna wishes to know if you would be able to attend. It will be Saturday, the twenty-third. Also, she would like to know if you would want to bright one of your friends with as well. Don't worry about feeling to be an annoyance if you do, Brooke will be bringing one of her friends with as well. _

_Your father and I will be sending a letter to your school to ask permission for you and your friend. If they agree, I will send another letter to inform you. In it I will tell you were to meet Rhianna so she may escort you here._

_Best wishes_

_Rachael Hundley-Rai_" 

Folding the paper again, angrily, and jammed it into her pocket, Ali tried to calm down as she left the Astronomy Tower and made her way back to the Gryffindor common room. If she had to endure a day with her new stepfamily, she would want to bring a friend along, and she knew just who to ask.

Darkly, she gave the password to the Fat Lady. She forced a cheery face as she spotted Harry in a chair near the fire, and walked over.

"Hiya Harry," she greeted brightly, trying a to smile at him.

"Oh, hey, Ali!" Harry smiled as he caught sight of her.

"Do you mind going for a walk with me?" she asked, "I kinda want to ask you something."

"Sure," he replied, standing to accompany her back out into the empty corridors, which was rather odd for a Sunday afternoon.

"Rachael and Rhianna are planning out a party to _celebrate _the wedding from hell." She blurted out, unable to contain it for long, although it was the opposite of something positive she would have liked to share. She took the letter from her pocket, hesitating for a second, before still almost reluctantly handing it over. "I got a letter from her today telling me."

Harry scanned it quickly. "Are you planning to bring a friend? If you are allowed to leave that is." He asked, handing the letter back.

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you would like to come with me." She sucked in her pride enough for a hint of shyness in her voice, and a faint blush creep into her cheeks. "You don't have to come if you don't want to, but I really don't want to go alone. And it would mean a lot to me if you would."

"I would love to," he brightened, a grin fluttering on his lips. This was a fantastic idea in his opinion, bother because he could get away from school and also he could spend some time alone with Alainna. "I wouldn't want you to have to suffer through anything alone if you don't have to, Ali."

"Thank you so much, Harry!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a very grateful hug. "I really, really, really appreciate this!"

Slightly shocked for a second, Harry recovered quickly, regaining his composer and hugged her back. "Not a problem."

The week went by quickly, Ali cursed it for doing so because she had been dreading the party, even if it did mean some alone time with Harry. She had received the formal invitation on Wednesday to confirm that _"she and a friend were cordially invited to the celebration of the union of Jordan Allan Rai and Rachael Catherine Hundley-Rai."_

The entire thing caused Alainna to feel like retching. It was a formal event so she had been told that Brooke had dug out her fancy floor-length gown out of the back of her closet. And she was sent a nasty letter from her sister, complaining about having to get all the creases and wrinkles out of the shimmering silks.

On Saturday morning, she dressed in jeans, a violet corset and button-down shirt, with her black school robes thrown over it. Her dress would be waiting at hr father's new house with a suite that had been rented for Harry.

Harry waited for her in the Great Hall after breakfast and together they braved the weather, making their way to the meeting place in Hogsmead. Instead of meeting Rhianna there as she had been told, Brooke had insisted to come.

Brooke was a slender girl, with shocking blue eyes and caramel blonde hair. She looked much like Alainna, but also very different. She was wearing a short crimson dress with very thing straps and a creamy suede jacket over it to pick up her sister.

"You ready to go, Ali?" she asked grinning, clearly glad to see her little sister again.

"As ready as I'll ever be to face the beast!" Ali replied, hugging the older girl. "Brooke, this is Harry, Harry, this is my sister, Brooke."

They shook hands politely, before Brooke turned back to Ali, "We're going to be flying since daddy doesn't want me to have to Apparate you."

"Don't worry, its not that far," Ali whispered to Harry.

"Ali, you're going to have to share with Harry, 'cause it's all I could manage to sneak." Brooke winked wolfishly at her. "Hope you don't mind."

The trio mounted and took off. It was approximately a half-hour flight to the 'celebration'. When they arrived, Ali gave Harry the suite that had been rented for him and showed him to the bathroom, telling him to meet him to meet her at the top of the stairs when he was finished changing. She went to the room she would share with Brooke when she was finished with her year at school.

"He's cute." Brooke commented; she helped Ali into the black and violet strapless gown, the only formal attire she owned.

"Yeah, I guess he is." Ali said dryly, trying not to show emotion as she drew the lacing tight in the front of the gown.

"Oh, c'mon, Jess!" Brooke laughed from her perch on her bed as she supervised her sister. "You like him, don't you?"

She decided not to reply right away, instead she folded down decorative flap of gold-embroidered violet silk.

"Jeshickah!" Brooke grinned, "you _do, _don't you!"

"Well, maybe a little," Ali blushed, adjusting the long silk skirts uncomfortable, she couldn't stand wearing skirts or dresses. She walked over to the vanity wear she took the length of gold lace she had sitting in the drawer of her jewelry box.

"I knew it!" Brooke's grin doubled, then she noticed the pearly scars on Ali's neck, and changed the subject. "Still go the scar from her? That sucks."

"Yeah, I would have had her if James hadn't came in." Ali glared annoyed at the scars before covering them back up with the gold lace. "I had her right where I wanted to and James came in and distracted me."

"That's the risk you take when you bring kids along on vanquishes," Brooke shook her head, "I can't believe her nails did that much damage."

"Really," Ali added sarcastically.

"And I told you not to takeher on alone." Brooke said, as Ali took the ponytail holder from her hair and brushed it out.

"Whatever," Ali rolled her eyes. "You were to scared to go, so I went alone."

Brooke denied it as she helped her sister fix her hair.

Harry was waiting at the stairs like he was told, pacing back and forward slightly, nervous about being on his own with people he didn't know very well. _How long does it take her to change! _he thought impatiently. One of the oak doors behind him clicked and he turned to see what it was.

"Go on, _Ali_!" Brooke laughed pushing another girl out into the hall.

The girl wore a black gown laced in the front with gold a split from the waist down to reveal violet silk embroidered with gold. It was strapless and the top of it was cuffed over with the same embroidered silk. A thick golden piece of lace around her throat, a small gold hoop glint from the cartilage of her right ear along with a pair of gold studs and dangling earrings as well. Honey blonde hair fell down past her shoulders to just below the bust line, it was pulled away from hr face with golden clips and long bangs fell just above rosy cheeks. Glittering lavender shadow over the lids of her eyes and sparkling sheer pink gloss brushed across her lips.

She smiled and spun around, giving Harry the impression of an angel fallen to earth and trying to pass as human. Her beauty seemed to double up as she faced him again, with her hair circling around her shoulders and gently falling across one side. "What do you think?" she asked, her voice soft as she started to walked over to him.

"Very nice, when's Ali coming out?" he smirked jokingly.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, swiping him in the arm and ruining her appearance of a fallen angel.

"Ow, I was just kidding," he laughed, not noticing that Brooke had come out and joined them. The skirt of her crimson dress that had fallen just above her knees now cascaded down below her ankles in sweet folds. He cleared his throat; his eyes had not yet fallen from Ali. Then, pulling on the most gentleman-like voice he could and offering her his arm, "May I escort you to the ball?"

"It would be an honor." She replied with the same mock courtesy, resting her palm across his forearm as she had seen of ladies in mid evil pictures and movies. Together they walked down the stairs and into the foyer where Jordan, Alainna and Brooke's father, had been waiting.

"Daddy!" Alainna exclaimed, running over to him and jumping into his waiting arms.

"Ali, honey, how are you?" he asked, letting her down and holding her at arms-length as if to check her for harm.

"I'm great," she replied, acting very much like a five-year-old girl rather than the sixteen-year-old she really was.

"Alainna, so wonderful to have you here, my dear," a velvet voice sounded from the corner. A tall slender woman with strait black hair and deep green eyes rounded on the father and daughter, her black velvet dress flowing gracefully around her as she walked.

Ali stiffened instantly, and rigidly turned to the woman. "Hello, Rachael." She replied emotionlessly.

"You're mother is waiting for you in the kitchen, she couldn't wait to seen you again." Rachael said sweetly, walking to her with her arms out as though she expected a hug as well.

"Thanks," Ali said shortly, coldly refusing her stepmother's attempt at showing her the way. "Harry, wanna come with?"

"Oh, and who is this handsome young man?" Rachael asked, she seemed to keep a very welcoming appearance, making Harry wonder why Ali was being so cruel to her.

"Harry, my friend from school." The girl replied, "I'll see you later, Daddy." She smiled to him, grabbing Harry's hand, leading him through the beautiful French doors that led into an elegantly finished kitchen.

A pretty caramel blonde woman sat at a stool at the island in the kitchen, whipping the face of a young boy with the same honey blonde hair as Alainna's. A man stood at the sink, wringing out a washcloth to clean a spill of blue juice on the counter. Another man, younger than the one at the sink but very similar in appearance, was rummaging through the refrigerator.

The little boy noticed the new visitors first, hopping down from the stool and rushing over. He jumped up and threw his arms around Ali's neck (she had crouched down to hug him back) yelling as he did, "Ali! Ali! Ali! Ali!"

"Hey, Jamey!" Ali greeted him, pulling back slightly from his tight grip and standing up again, but he still clung to her. His infectious grin beaming up at her as she tried to walk over to the rest of the people in the room.

There was a round of hugs as Ali smiled, hugged, and greeted each of them. After she had greeted everyone, Ali went back to Harry and brought him over to the group.

"Everyone, this is Harry, he goes to school with me," she announced, Harry noticed she hadn't said 'Hogwarts' once, instead just calling it 'school.' "Harry, this is my family; my mom, Catherine, my brother, James, my stepdad, Eric, and Jon, my stepbrother."

Each of them smiled and said hello as they were introduced.

"Okay, not that I'm not glad or anything," Ali ventured, "but, where's Princess Rhianna?"

"Al, you really should be nice to her, she is your stepsister now." Eric said, washing out the rag and laying it out over the faucet head.

"She's out in the courtyard with her guests." Jon said, flicking back the top of his can of soda. "I was just going to head back there if you wanna come along. Don't wanna leave Lynn alone out there."

"Lynn's here, too!" Ali exclaimed, her pretty face glowing more than it already had been from being back with her family.

"Yep, and she's been dying to see you." Jon laughed, as did Ali, and Harry felt left out on some inside joke. Jon led the way through another hallway and into a beautiful courtyard full of people. Harry trailed behind, quite happy to fallow even if he felt slightly left out.

The moment Ali stepped out into the sunlight, a red haired girl about sixteen as well came running up, screaming "Ali!" and jumped up to be next to hug the blonde tightly.

"Lynn!" Ali returned her back, grinning even more. "Okay, you _have _to tell me how school has been going, but first," she turned back to Harry. "Harry, this is my absolute best friend in the entire world, Lynn Harbor, Lynn, this is Harry, one of my friends from my new school."

"Nice to meet you, Harry." Lynn said still smiling, her arm draped over Ali's shoulders. "Ali's told me all about you."

"Same," Harry smiled back.

"I'll be right back, I'm just going to get something to drink." Ali said, laughing slightly, disappearing into the crowd.

"So, you and Ali are _just _friends?" Lynn asked when she was sure her friend was well out of earshot.

"I think so, we really aren't together that much." He shrugged.

"I see," she grinned mischievously. "Do you want to be _more _than that?"

Ali laughed and chatted with everyone she passed by as she made her way to the punch bowl. She enjoyed being around her friends and family again, she had really missed them all.

"Oh, Alainna!" a sweet voice purred from not far off. "Alainna, dear, how have you been? I haven't seen you in so long." A young woman rounded someone, approached. Her short, cropped black hair was pinned elegantly and her emerald green dress hugged her almost perfect body with a slit running up from the bottom of the skirt almost all the way up her thigh. Her brilliant green eyes glittered, perfectly matching the dress.

Alainna stiffened at the very sound of the voice. She spun quickly and dropped back into a more balanced stance. "Rhianna, leave me alone, or I'll be forced to do something you'll regret." She said coldly, struggling to keep her hands at her sides and hiding her fists in the folds of her skirt.

"Oh, I was hoping we could talk." Rhianna pouted slightly, her voice clearly mocking her.

"Oh yeah, 'cause I know you just love to talk." Ali replied; glad her voice sounded calm. "Why don't we get one of your victims here to confirm that."

"Victims? What ever do you mean, _Jeshickah_?" the dark haired girls asked, looking innocent as she stalked over. The green dress rippling around her slim legs, the slit rising and falling with each footfall, taunting the boys that watched her.

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Ali spat back, all of her will power kept her from lunging forward and slashing her stepsister with the blade she had hidden under her skirt. Instead she grabbed two glasses of punch from the table, "Now if you don't mind," she nodded with a mock polite smiled. "I have to get back to a conversation I left." She said as she turned and walked off, away from Rhianna and back to Lynn and Harry.

Rhianna wouldn't attack her now. Not with all the people around. _I hope,_ Ali thought as she returned.

"Hey, Ali, I just heard the deejay's setting up," Lynn grinned jerking her head toward a small tent decorated in flowers on the other end of the courtyard. "I wanna see if they have any good music.

"Okay, you go ahead, I'll be there in a sec." Ali grinned back at her. "Harry, do you wanna go dance? We have to get back up to the school by eight and it's almost six now."

"Of course, let's go." Harry smiled at her, Lynn had been a nice girl but Ali was less obvious when she flirted, if she flirted at all. _And she's got cute little nervous habits. _he thought.

Ali smiled sweetly, tucking her bangs behind her ears before taking his hand again and leading him to the tent.

Inside the tent, roundtables were pushed up against the back and one side. On the other side a deejay was setting up equipment. Lynn was talking with the younger of the two men that was working there, obviously flirting. Everything was draped in pink and blue silks and a banner hung bearing the words _Congratulations, Jordan and Rachael!_ in brilliant letters. A few people had wondered in and were sitting at the tables. No one wanted to be the first one on the dance floor. Jamey, Eric, Brooke, Jonathan, Catherine and a young man Ali recognized as Brooke's boyfriend, followed shortly after. When the music started Rachael glided in and Rhianna followed also. Jamey gasped when the song changed and grabbed Ali's hand, dragging her onto the dance floor.

Harry smiled as Ali looked at him apologetically at him. She grinned and laughed as Jamey danced around her, and she swayed along with him. Slowly adults and couples came out and joined the kids and their partners. Harry went over to save Ali from her younger brother as a slow song came on.

"You don't mind, do you, Jamey?" Ali asked him when Harry asked her to dance.

"I'll just dance with Lynn," he replied and ran off to find his new friend.

Ali grinned at her little brother, then turned to look at Harry. He smiled at her and stepped up, putting her arms around her waist. Ali moved in, draping her arms over his shoulders. As they swayed in time with the music, something flickered between them in each other's eyes. They both felt something but dismissed it as the cold settling in as it got dark and the lights flicked on in the tent.

"I have a question for you." Harry said suddenly, starting to seem a little uncomfortable.

"Really? Shoot." Ali responded, sensing something had changed.

"Well, er…" he gulped, this was going to be harder than he thought. "Do you like me?" he blurted out, immediately turning red because of it and looking away embarrassed.

"Oh well," she bit her lip nervously, gazing at a spot just above his shoulder to avoid his eyes. "Bloody hell, this is going to sound so stupid!"

"What will?" he asked, his embarrassment turning to anxiety.

"I…um…" Ali took a deep breath as well as a step back. "No, this doesn't feel right, I can't, not now."

"What?" his anxiety turning to fear of rejection.

"Just come with me," she whispered, she rushed out of the tent and into the house. With Harry at her heals she ran through the kitchen, through the parlor, up the stairs, down the long hallway, and into her room. "I can't do this in a dress, I hate dresses." She mumbled as she scooped up her jeans and corset. She hid in the closet, slamming the door shut, and after a lot of thumping and cursing she came out again in tank top styled violet corset and faded and ripped, wonderfully tight pair of jeans.

"I take it your not one for formalities." Harry assumed; she was seemingly less apprehensive and more relaxed now.

"Me and my sister had a long…discussion. Sheforced me to wear that dress." She shuttered, glaring over at the heap of black and violet silk, dropping onto one of the beds next to Harry, curling one leg up across the bed to face him. "I still didn't want to wear it."

"You still haven't answered my question." Harry said, trying to kept his nerves out of his voice.

"Yeah, um…" she reached out and grabbed his hands. "Harry, I do like you, but I never thought you would notice me."

"Really?" he smiled widely, searching out her aqua eyes for a lie. "I didn't think you would pay me any mind until the night of the Quidditch match."

Ali blushed, "I shouldn't have done that, I'm so stupid sometimes."

"No, I think that's when I found out I liked you." He grinned; gulping down his nerves again as another question arose in his mind.

"Lynn thinks we should get together." Ali said awkwardly. "I have to say I agree with her for once."

"So, what does that mean?" Harry looked confused.

It was a quarter to eight in the evening; Brooke dragged out the two brooms for them. Mounting one and handing the other out to Ali and Harry. Ali let Harry take the lead, happily getting on behind him. Squeezing tightly as they flew back to Hogsmead Village. Coming back late, they hurried back, Brooke just dropped them off before flying back home.

"So do you wanna head straight up to the castle or wonder around a bit first?" Ali asked as they walked the streets, hand-in-hand.

"We're already late, so what d'ya say to stopping at the Three Broomsticks for a drink?" Harry grinned.

"Let's go," she agreed, as they wondered into the tavern.

They stopped in for a butterbeer each, before laughing and heading out and back up to the school. Sixteen and carefree, they took their time wondering up and down the streets, slowly making their way up to the castle.

But sixteen and carefree could cause trouble if it wasn't watched. A silent blink and girl the same age as Ali appeared behind her. Before she could scream for help or in fear, another silent blink made both girls disappear. Harry looked around frantically when he no longer felt the warmth and tender roughness of Ali's hand in his.

Down and empty alley, Ali was taken. A few streets over from where she had been, a flash of black and red light was the last thing Ali remembered before the unthinkable happened.

Harry looked around scared. He had just been standing next to her, holding her hand and laughing with her. Stealing kisses as they slowly made their way up the empty streets. Empty. Ali wasn't anywhere to be found

"Ali?" he called into the darkness. No response. "Ali, where are you?"

The sound of what would have been a gunshot resounded in the abandoned streets. A blinding flash echoed in the blackness. Pain shot through Ali's chest and stomach. Shock flooded her mind as she dropped to the ground. She heard footsteps, distantly and slowly disappearing.

Ali lay alone and abandoned on the street. Helplessly, she tried find the familiar oak wand but only succeeded in finding growing pools of her own crimson blood.

"Ali?" a familiar voice called from around a corner. She tried to respond but could only gasp as blood begun to fill her lungs. "Ali, where are you? W have to get back up to the school?" the voice called as it came closer.

Ali staggered up to a half sitting position. Her whole body shook from the effort, and she leaned back on her elbows, still trying to be noticed.

"Al-"a familiar figure to match the voice came into view, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw her on the ground. "Ali!" Harry ran up as fast as he could to where she lie in the street. He fell to his knees and let her rest her head in his lap.

"Hey, I-I thought I-I told y-you not t-t-to fall-low m-me." She joked, trying to smile as she fought her shaking.

"What happened?" Harry asked, looking over her wounds fear etching deeper in his features.

"I-I don-n't know," Ali struggled to say. "B-but I h-have to tell y-you so-ome thi-thing."

"Anything, just let me know you'll be okay." Harry tried to hold back his fears. He was just starting to care about her.

"Th-that's just i-it," Ali gasped for breath again, speech was becoming harder and harder. "I-I'm going t-to die."

"No!" Harry insisted, holding her closer. "No, you're not! You're gonna pull through this!"

"No…I'm n-not…I-I've fores-seen this. I'm dy-dying." She smiled though she could slowly feel the warmth of life leaving her body. "I w-was sent he-here to p-protect the st-students. I-I never-er thou-ought I w-would go l-like thi-is." She reached up to touch his face, running her fingers down his cheek leaving crimson streaks where her hand had been. "F-funny thing i-is, I st-till don't be-believe I fa-failed on a m-mission, and al-l because I-I fell for so-me one I-I know I can ne-never have." Her hand dropped and she could tell it wasn't long till the end. "Pr-promise me s-someth-thing."

"I'll promise you anything, just please don't die." Harry reached for her hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it, his eyes filling with tears.

"F-find M-moshi a good h-home." Ali said, trying harder to speak. "H-he needs s-someone t-to love h-him."

"I won't have to, you're going to be okay and you'll be able to take care of him." He insisted, refusing to believe she was really dying.

"I-I'm n-not," she said, her shallow breaths coming quicker and quicker. "B-be s-sure t-to lo-ok out for M-m-m…" her breathing stopped.

"Ali? Ali?" Harry shook her, but she was limp. "Come back, Ali." He whispered fiercely at the sky, as if it could bring her back. "No, she can't be gone," he muttered in disbelieve.

There was a creak and a pretty young woman with short black hair Apparated next to him. She knelt and looked down at Ali's body, her blank aqua eyes staring endlessly up at the sky.

"I'm here to take Alainna home." She said to Harry, pulling out her wand to clean up the blood.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, dazed as he looked quizzically at the new girl.

"Rhianna, I'm Alainna's sister," she said, seeming unfazed by the death. "She told us she was going to die. I was told to bring her home."

"Would you mind if I had a moment alone with her first?" he asked, she nodded, straightened up and walked up the street and out of earshot. "Ali, why'd you have to leave? You were the only one willing to look at me as something more than just another famous wizard." He pressed her hand against his cheek; it was still warm and still coated in wet blood. "And I really didn't have time to thank you. If I knew you were going to die, I would have been more caring,"

Just then a silvery figure rose up from Ali's limp body. The figure was in a wonderful pearly dress, white and silver ribbons in her hair, and delicate silver slippers on her feet.

"Harry," the ghost spoke, clearly and extremely identical to Ali's. "Don't regret my death. I was here on a job and I knew this would happen."

"Ali? Is that really you?" Harry asked, standing up to get a better look at her, gently laying her head on the pavement of the street so it wouldn't just be dropped.

"I'm only what's left of what I was when you knew me." The ghost said calmly. "I'm merely the shadow of Alainna Marie Rai, just a ghost.

"I need you to do a few things for me." She looked at him as though she would if she was sick and was asking him to collect her homework for her. "Let Rhia take my body back. She knew this would happen, as did the rest of my family. They requested I be brought back home so she's here to do that.

"Also, you must forget me. Someone will come by and erase the evidence of my being here. There is a note in the pocket of my robes, give it to the man who comes to help you, you'll recognize him, I think it will be Jonathan. If you want I can let him know you wish to remember me-"

"I want to remember," Harry found his voice after the shock of meeting his friends ghost. "I couldn't stand it if I never knew you."

"I'll be sure he knows that then." Ali nodded. "One last thing; Moshi, make sure he gets taken care of, he might just follow Jon home but if not, find a place for him. I think he'd do best in a magical family.

"Take care of yourself," the shimmering figure began to fade, "Trust yourself, trust your friends, relay on your heart when it tells you who to trust and who to watch out for. My Sight has shown me a false trophy, a battle, a death, and a mystery in store for you after I'm gone. I don't know anything else beyond that. I must go now," she smiled, now where a silver girl stood a pearly mist was left. "I will miss you, Harry Potter."

"Wait!" Harry cried, "Can I ask you something first?"

"It depends on what that is." The voice was extremely clear although the mist was just barely there, thinning quickly, like the way mist burns off in the bright sunlight.

"Can I hold you one last time?" he asked sheepishly, fighting back tears.

The sweet smile that had become so common among the Gryffindors shown through first. Perfect pink lips and gleaming white teeth spread to a cute nose and sweet chin. Clear bright aqua eyes followed next with straight, glimmering, honey blonde hair, to frame the face that had appeared. Then, like a bucket over turned over the head, the fading mist below turned into the slim form of Ali's body. He white dress ruffled around her knees in an invisible wind, she no longer looked like a ghost be more like the human she once was. It was as though she had merely Apparated from the ground to standing in front of Harry. But when he dared a look down he saw that the blood-spattered form of her was still there.

Harry took a step closer, then stopped himself halfway through the stride. "I'm not going to go right through you, am I?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No, I'm just as solid as I was at the party." She sighed, "I've only reapparitioned for a short time. My powers are draining now that I don't have a body to connect them with."

Stumbling only slightly, he closed in next to her, only one of her spoken words had registered with him, _no_. He closed his arms around her gently around her, holding her close. She just closed her arms around him as well, out of habit from so many hugs. She really wanted to stay at Hogwarts and finish out the year and her mission. But she couldn't and her apparition begun to lose it's hold and she started to disappear again.

Harry soon stood alone on the street, Ali was completely gone. No ghost, no apparition was left. A single glistening tear stayed behind and clung to the shoulder of his robe. Standing for a second longer, dumbfounded, he remembered the dying wish he had promised to fulfill. He knelt next to Ali's now cold body, most of the blood had been cleaned up, but a lot was still left splattered across her. He reached into the front pocket of her robes and pulled out a note.

"_Jnahoatn, _

_I fealid, m'I srory. Mnay meemiors wlil hvea ot eb earsed, erveynoe ta het shocol. Hrary si aolowed ot reememebr em utb olny sa a dearm. I ma relaly srory ouy are sutck whit hist nda I relaly arpectitae uoy rof ti._

_Belsesd eb nda lvoe awlyas!_

_Alanina Ria"_

Harry returned to the school, the note closed in his hand. He still couldn't believe Ali was gone. Rhia had cleared away the blood, and took the body when she Disapparated. Even still the death seemed to surreal.

At the front of the school, a man with light brown hair waited. "D'ya got Ali's letter?" he asked.

Harry nodded and gave it to Jonathan. He scanned it quickly before looking back at Harry.

"You're Harry, right? We meet earlier." He said, seeming almost annoyed, and looked like he would rather be somewhere else.

Harry nodded, he remembered. Jonathan straightened up from where he was leaning on the stone wall and stepped forward. Pulling out his wand, she shot a light blue ribbon at Harry's head, clearing his mind. Sorting through the memories, he erased all the ones that included Ali, leaving just one for him to think of as a dream. Then he sent Harry back up to the Tower. He followed and repeated the process with everyone in the school with one minor difference, instead of sending light blue ribbons he sent out deep royal blue colored ones in stead.

When he finished, he left the grounds, pausing at the gate and whispering an incantation to cover anyone he may have missed and erasing all other evidence of his sister being there. Stowing his wand back into his pocket, he nodded in grim satisfaction, before stepping outside the gate and Dispiriting.

"Jess, you picked one hell of a mission," he shook his head. "Wish you could have let it play out like it was s'posed to."

Alainna Rai had been erased from all existence. In the morning school would continue as thought she had never been there. Students would go about their lives without a fleeting memory of the pretty young blonde who had died for them. Everyone, that is, except the Boy Who Lived. Harry Potter would tell his friends about the girl in his dream, and how she seemed so real. How he could practically tell that this was what had happened.

But as Ron and Hermione pointed out, it was just a dream and nothing more. So Harry would return to silence about his dream girl; staying quite about her, and meeting her every night to further the story that only just begun.

He keeps his lips still because she asked him to. His friends and classmates will never know that she saved them all by staging her own death and erasing their memories. Someday maybe, she will return, but for now, she will just stay Harry's secret dream.

_Now here's the explanation if you really want one. Catherine isn't really my mother, she's my mentor. She taught me all I know about vampire hunting. Eric is her boss, and they have a bit of a deeper relationship than that so they had no problem being married in my little charade. Jonathan is actually a vampire, but he works as a double agent for our team. Brooke is really my sister, but she's also my partner on a lot of missions. Jordan isn't my dad, he's my boss. James is a kid me and my sister saved from a vampire after his parents were killed. I love him like a brother and he's been with us along time so he thinks Brooke and I are really his sisters. Rhianna and Rachael are vampires. Jordan was under a kinda spell when he married Rachael, it was a plan of her's to marry him, kill him and ruin our whole team. Rhianna was told to go attack Hogwarts and I was sent to protect the school. The night 'Alainna' died I just sent out a very strong copy of myself. I was safely at Catherine's house and out of harms way. Rhianna was the one that killed Ali, that's how she knew when to appear and pull out her story to take my 'body' to _her _boss, Rachael. When they thought I was dead, they dropped the Hogwarts mission and went off to celebrate. Lastly, Lynn. She really is my best friend. She's a vampire hunter like me as well. I put her in charge of guarding my team well I was away. She did was great, no one was harmed while I was at 'school'. _

_As you might have noticed, throughout the time I was at Jordan's house I was called Jeshickah and Jess a few times. And the incident with Brooke when I was changing for the party, she was referring to the scars I do have on my neck. It was from my first encounter with Rachael. That was before she thought to destroy the team. I almost died there, all because James came in and distracted me. Luckily when he screamed at me being attacked, Catherine and Brooke came in and Rachael fled. _

_My Sight is real, that's why I was picked to be a vampire hunter; it helps on some missions. The prediction of Harry encountering 'a false trophy, a battle, a death, and a mystery' refers to what you know what happens in the book by J. K. Rowling. The false trophy is the locket that wasn't what it was thought to be. The battle is the battle between the Death Eaters and the staff and D.A. members. The death of course is not my death but the death of the headmaster at the school. And, finally, the mystery, the mysterious R.A.B., no one will soon forget about that. I know he wouldn't have remembered it because Jonathan erased it from his memory, but I still told him. Just in case._

_I am planning to return to Hogwarts again, in four or five years though; otherwise I might be remembered. I'll go back as Alainna, I think, but maybe I'll go by my real name, Jeshickah. Maybe it will be by my freewill, I hope it will be anyway. I don't want to return for another mission, it'd suck to have to return for another mission._

_So anyway, now you know about the true events that were forgotten in the book. I hold no ill will to Mrs. Rowling for not including my story in her book. It would only confuse her avid readers. But for those of you who wish to know the true events, thank you for reading, and remember to believe._

_Blessed be_

_Jeshickah Ashley Night_


	2. Alt Ending

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Ali demanded, beginning to attempt to break her captor's grasp around her neck.

"Shut up!" a sweet, silky, female voice demanded. "You're a hostage, now, you're the one without control, and you have no authority to ask anything right now!"

"I can do whatever I want!" Ali said, thinking quickly, she grabbed her right wrist and jammed her elbow back and up, being rewarded with the creak of her captor's ribs breaking. The other girl fell back, a quick gasp for a breath and clutching her side as the sickening sound of bones creeping back together again. Ali took her chance and broke out of range of the vampire's arms.

"Now, we can chat, Rhia, not that I care about _any_thing you say." She said, and dropping into a fighting stance just to be safe.

"Well, you should, considering we are 'sisters', now." Rhianna purred. Circling the other girl cautiously, not planing on offering another opening.

"Yeah, but that's _only _because you're 'mother' enchanted him into that frickin' marriage. Jordan would _never _agree to it if he was in his right mind." Ali spat, darting in quickly, flipping her leg up and around in a wheel kick aimed for the vampires chin.

Unfortunately, Rhianna was too quick for her hunter. Her hand flew up with blinding speed catching Ali's foot, twisting it and breaking the ankle. Ali cried out in pain and fell. On the cold stone of the road, Alainna tried to come up with a plan to get back at the vampire. Nothing came to mind that would work with her now-broken ankle. Trading mind-frames, to the one furthest from her hunting-trained one, one that meant she would have to let herself die.

As a vampire hunter, Ali had been trained to fight to the death, never give up, never go unarmed, and be able to master all forms of fighting at a young age. A hunter must always be ready for a fight, be quick, agile, and strong. They could never be caught unaware, or they would be shamed for their foolishness. Now, Ali knew she had failed. She was caught unaware, she was unarmed, unprepared, and she had stopped fighting. She would be shamed forever in her hunting clan, never to be thought of in a good light again from them.

"Ali?" a male voice was calling to her. "Ali, where are you? We need to get back up to the school."

"Harry?" Ali's head spun as she thought of her charge stumbling into what he was never to know about.

"Ali? Where are you?" he asked in response, getting closer.

"Harry, run! You have to get away from here!" she yelled back, not noticing that Rhianna had stopped her attempt to kill her.

"What? Ali, what's-" it was too late, he saw what he had been warned against.

Ali was on the ground, an unknown figure standing over her in a black leather jacket, black pants, and armed with a dagger in her hand, poised for the kill.

"You don't wanna be here," Ali pleaded, "you don't even want to know what's going on. Please just leave."

"What's going on?" he demanded, gaining confidence, even though he was scared to death.

"No, Harry, really, please just leave." Ali begged, tears filling her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. "Just go back up to the school, I need to fight this on my own."

"Why? What's going on?" Harry still pressed on ward, walking into the fight, trying not to show his fear.

Ali noticed her chance; Rhianna was totally focused on Harry now, confused about what she should do, kill the hunter or kill the student like she was meant to. With her good leg, Ali swung around in a circle, knocking the vampire to the ground. The dagger was now on the ground; Ali grabbed it quickly while her opponent recovered. Appraising the weapon as fast as she could, she found it to be forged with magic, powerful magic. Grinning at the stupidity of her 'sister', she gripped the blade tight in her hand, slamming it down into the vampire's heart.

Rhianna gasped, being rendered with no other thoughts beyond the searing pain of the weapon she had carelessly dropped. It took no training for Ali to remember to twist the blade, obliterating the black hole of the non-functional heart. Dark blood spilled forth as the vampire dropped dead.

Ali dropped back onto her uninjured foot. She tried to move the broken ankle with as little pain as possible. The blade was still jammed in the dead vampire's ribs, as the hunter checked over her break.

"Okay, what just happened?" Harry asked confused, coming to help her.

"Long story," Ali chuckled softly, _not too bad of a break, thank god. _She thought, starting to try to stand.

"Are you sure you're okay to stand?" Harry asked, he knew he heard something break when he was looking for her.

"I'll be fine, it's not a bad break, I've had to walk with worse than this." She chuckled, taking advantage of his offer to support her as she stood. "It kinda comes with the job, I guess. My first mission on my own. Cat will never let me alone again."

"Cat? You mean Catherine, your mum?" Harry asked, helping her to the Three Broomsticks, the closest open place to rest.

"Yeah, about that," they settled into a table in the corner, "I have a major confession to make."

"A confession? Like admitting you've been lying to me?" Harry looked deeply confused. "What could be so big about that?"

"You'd be surprised." Ali chuckled, "I'm not really who you think I am."

She sighed, looking down at the table, tracing the grain of the wood. "My name's Jeshickah, (J-E-S-H-I-C-K-A-H) not Alainna. I'm a vampire hunter; I have been since I was ten years old. My parents were killed and Brooke and me were left on our own. That's when Jordan found us. Catherine, Eric, Jonathan, and him were a clan of hunters. They took us in and taught us to be like them.

"My real parents actually named me Jessica (J-E-S-S-I-C-A) when I was born, and Brooke's real name was Ashley, but when the hunters took us in, they changed the spelling of my name, and Brooke's changed completely, because they couldn't think of anything close enough to use for her. Jordan thought we should take the name of the clan too, so the vampires that killed our parent would have even more trouble finding us."

She sighed, glancing up quickly to see how her friend was taking it in. "For the past six years, our clan has been moving around to fallow a coven of vampires. Rachael and Rhianna are from the coven we focus on the most. We've been following them for a long time. I was sent her to protect Hogwarts students from Rhianna. It was s'posed to be my first mission on my own. The party tonight was partially for the clan to check up on my progress, and, well, Jordan was under an enchantment to marry Rachael and destroy our clan. He actually did get married to Rachael, so I don't know what's going to happen now with that.

"I know this is probably a lot to take in but do you have any questions you can think of?" She asked, she looked up, tucking her bangs back. "I promise I'll answer anything and everything I can."

Harry just sat in shock for a moment. "So that's why you were in Hogwarts?" she nodded. "Who were all those people I meet at the party then, if they aren't your family?"

"Brooke really is my sister, Lynn's my best friend, she has been since she joined the clan, three years ago." She thought about the people who had posed as her family. "Jordan is the clan leader, he's first in command. Eric and Catherine are just under him. Eric trains wanna-be hunters as they join, and Catherine assigns them what we call blood-jobs. Jonathan is our spy, he's a vampire, but he works for us, getting everything he can out of a coven of vampires before we go in. Jamey's a little kid we took in last year. His parents were killed by vampires, too. He's too young to start training or anything, I was too young at ten, but I was so angry I took up training anyway. I wasn't considered a hunter till I was thirteen, though."

She sighed at the memory of the last few years. "Jamey's actually the reason behind my scars here," she removed the ribbon from her neck. "I was fighting with Rachael, it was a job Brooke was s'posed to have, I was only meant to fallow along for back-up. I left the night before we were meant to leave. Rachael met me at the door of the kitchen, while I was sneaking out. We fought, and I thought I had her, when Jamey came in for a glass of water. I was caught of guard, and she got a good slash across my throat. Jamey screamed, and Catherine came down to see what was wrong. She fought off the vamp, while Eric, who followed, fixed me up. I was in major trouble and got put on some of the worst blood-jobs, in addition to being out-of-action of any kind for a month or two while I healed."

Harry looked shocked, he thought a dog or something had just attacked her when she was younger. Vampires and their hunters never crossed his mind. "Is that why you were always up in the Astronomy Tower? You were training for this _mission_?"

"Yes, and I would have told you, but no one was s'posed to know about my true identity." She looked apologetically at him. "I never wanted to lie to anyone, but I had too. Besides would you have believed me if I told you the truth?"

"Probably not, but I don't know what to believe anymore." He shook his head.

"Is there anything else you want to know?"

"I can't think of anything else."

"Well then, I have a question for you." She looked seriously at him. "What would you say if I told you I have to wipe your memory clear of everything involving me?"

"What?" he looked at her with a new form of shock. "I wouldn't know what to say. "

"I have to do this, I can't leave any trace of my existence here, after I leave. It isn't allowed." Jeshickah rubbed a hand across her face, fiddling with her ribbon. "I can leave you with a dream-like memory. You'd remember everything that happened but only as much as you remember any run-of-the-mill dream. Would you want that?"

Harry thought for a moment. "That sounds nice, I'd like that."

She smiled, "Close your eyes," he obeyed. She sent a light blue silk-like tread from her wand into his mind, rearranging his thoughts from actual memories to dreams. "Okay, now when you go to sleep at night, your mind will revert all this back to a dream. In the morning, that's all it will be. I'll walk with you back up to the school, just a second." She wrapped both of her hands around her broken ankle. When she removed them, she had a brace over the break, just strong enough to hold up until she returned to the clan house. She gently eased her weight onto the ankle, testing the strength. "Okay, we can go."



Jeshickah escorted her yawning charge the great oak doors to the castle, giving him a watery smile as she said good-bye, and kissing him softly on the cheek. When the oak doors were closed behind him, she held out her wand again, releasing a navy blue mist-like substance over the enormous castle and as much of the grounds as she could. She removed all memories of her in every mind of everyone at the school, replacing them with false memories of what would have happened if she weren't there.

In the morning, Harry told his friends about his dream. They all dismissed it as only a dream, as Jeshickah had intended. The young hunter had returned to the clan house, and was being congratulated on the completion of her first mission. She was proud of herself, and none of he other members of the clan would have reason underestimate her again. And neither would the vampires she hunted.



_Well, that's my story I hope you liked it. Just remember, many very important things are left out of books, so next time you finish a great novel, don't forget to think about what might have happened that the author chose not to tell you. Sometimes those events could have changed the whole view of the book._

_Blessed be!_

_Jeshickah Knight_



Author's note: Okay, now, I'm told that my original version of the ending to this sucked, and I had to agree. I really should have tied together the rest of the open ends I left out there, it really didn't make much sense with that ending. So thanks to those of you who've helped me see the terrible work I did on the first draft of the story, I hope you like this version better.

Also, this alternate ending was a lot easier to write. It only took me an hour and a half to write! (the original took a lot longer, with a lot of blocks in between.) So, interpret that as you will, but I think the faster it takes me to write things, the better they turn out to be. I hope you can kinda see that, too.

Again thanks to the two of you (and I know you know who you are) who helped me see the horrible Mary-Sue this was, I really hope this is more to your liking.

Always

Jakki


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